Storage access technique for captured data

ABSTRACT

A technique processes captured data on a device, wherein selected captured data of a given quality resolution is transferred via a communication link to a separate storage location for future availability. A storage protocol may include different storage organization categories. A possible aspect includes an identifier record to enable future accessibility to selected captured data by one or more authorized parties or approved devices.

PRIORITY CLAIM, CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION, ANDINCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The present application is related to and claims the benefit of theearliest available effective filing date(s) from the following listedapplication(s) (the “Related Applications”) (e.g., claims earliestavailable priority dates for other than provisional patent applicationsor claims benefits under 35 USC §119(e) for provisional patentapplications, for any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent,etc. applications of the Related Application(s)).

RELATED APPLICATIONS

For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the presentapplication constitutes a continuation in part of United States patentapplication entitled ESTIMATING SHARED IMAGE DEVICE OPERATIONALCAPABILITIES OR RESOURCES, naming Edward K. Y. Jung, Royce A. Levien,Robert W. Lord, Mark A. Malamud, and John D. Rinaldo, Jr. as inventors,filed Jun. 2, 2005, Ser. No. 11/143,970, which is currently co-pending,or is an application of which a currently co-pending application listedas a Related Application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date;

For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the presentapplication constitutes a continuation in part of United States patentapplication entitled SHARED IMAGE DEVICE DESIGNATION, naming Edward K.Y. Jung, Royce A. Levien, Robert W. Lord, Mark A. Malamud, and John D.Rinaldo, Jr. as inventors, filed Jul. 26, 2005, Ser. No. 11/190,516,which is currently co-pending, or is an application of which a currentlyco-pending application listed as a Related Application is entitled tothe benefit of the filing date;

For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the presentapplication constitutes a continuation in part of U.S. patentapplication entitled SAVED-IMAGE MANAGEMENT, naming Royce A. Levien,Robert W. Lord, and Mark A. Malamud, as inventors, filed Oct. 31, 2005,Ser. No. 11/263,587, which is currently co-pending, or is an applicationof which a currently co-pending application listed as a RelatedApplication is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.

For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the presentapplication constitutes a continuation in part of U.S. patentapplication entitled CONDITIONAL ALTERATION OF A SAVED IMAGE, namingRoyce A. Levien, Robert W. Lord, and Mark A. Malamud, as inventors,filed Nov. 1, 2005, Ser. No. 11/264,701 which is currently co-pending,or is an application of which a currently co-pending application listedas a Related Application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.

For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the presentapplication constitutes a continuation in part of United States patentapplication entitled DATA MANAGEMENT OF A DATA STREAM, naming Edward K.Y. Jung, Royce A. Levien, Robert W. Lord, Mark A. Malamud, and John D.Rinaldo, Jr. as inventors, filed Mar. 15, 2006, Ser. No. 11/376,627which is currently co-pending, or is an application of which a currentlyco-pending application listed as a Related Application is entitled tothe benefit of the filing date

All subject matter of the Related Applications and of any and allparent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc. applications of the RelatedApplications is incorporated herein by reference to the extent suchsubject matter is not inconsistent herewith.

SUMMARY

Various computerized system embodiments for implementing a data storagemanagement technique may include a data capture device wherein captureddata has a given high quality resolution; a communication link fortransferring some or all of the captured data to a separate storagelocation for future availability, wherein selected captured data that isinitially received at the separate storage location has a given highquality resolution; and a storage protocol for keeping a saved versionof the selected captured data at the storage location, which storageprotocol includes different storage organization categories. Anotherpossible component may include an identifier record maintained at thecapture device and/or at the separate storage location to enable futureaccessibility to the selected captured data by one or more authorizedparties or approved devices.

Some exemplary embodiments disclosed herein provide a method for datamanagement including obtaining captured data on a device, which captureddata has a given high quality resolution; and transferring some or allof the captured data via a communication link to a separate storagelocation for future availability, wherein selected captured data isinitially received at the separate storage location without asignificant loss of the high quality resolution. Further possibleaspects may include confirming a storage protocol for keeping a savedversion of the selected captured data at the storage location, whichstorage protocol includes different storage organization categories; andmaintaining an identifier record to enable future accessibility to theselected captured data by one or more authorized parties or approveddevices.

Exemplary computer program product embodiments having one or morecomputer programs may be provided for executing a process that includestransferring captured data having a given high quality resolution via acommunication link from a capturing device to a separate storagelocation for future availability; and implementing a storage protocolfor keeping a saved version of selected captured data at the separatestorage location, which storage protocol includes different organizationcategories. A further possible process feature may include maintainingan identifier record to enable future accessibility to the selectedcaptured data pursuant to the storage protocol.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be inany way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments,and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and featureswill become apparent by reference to the drawings and the followingdetailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates the exemplary system that includes a thin computingdevice 20 that may interface with an electronic device;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary system in which embodiments may beimplemented;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary system in which embodiments may beimplemented;

FIGS. 4A-C illustrates an exemplary operation that decreases theresolution of the saved captured image in the computer readable medium;

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary operational flow;

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow of FIG. 5;

FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary environment in which embodiments may beimplemented;

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary operational flow;

FIG. 12 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow of FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 illustrates another alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow of FIG. 11;

FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary operational flow;

FIG. 16 illustrates another embodiment of the exemplary operational flowof FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 illustrates a further embodiment of the exemplary operationalflow of FIG. 15;

FIG. 18 illustrates a further embodiment of the exemplary operationalflow of FIG. 15;

FIG. 19 illustrates another embodiment of the exemplary operational flowof FIG. 15;

FIGS. 20A-D illustrates an embodiment of the exemplary operational flowof FIG. 16;

FIG. 21 illustrates an exemplary device in which embodiments may beimplemented;

FIG. 22 illustrates another exemplary device in which embodiments may beimplemented;

FIG. 23 illustrates a further exemplary device in which embodiments maybe implemented;

FIG. 24 illustrates an exemplary operational flow in which embodimentsmay be implemented;

FIG. 25 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow of FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 illustrates another alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow of FIG. 24;

FIG. 27 illustrates a further alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow of FIG. 24;

FIG. 28 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow of FIG. 24;

FIG. 29 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow of FIG. 24; and

FIG. 30 illustrates an exemplary system in which embodiments may beimplemented.

FIG. 31 is a high level flow chart showing an exemplary data storageaccess embodiment.

FIGS. 32-41 are more detailed flow charts illustrating further exemplaryembodiments.

FIG. 42 illustrates an exemplary computer program product embodiment.

FIG. 43 is a schematic block diagram showing exemplary data storagecommunication embodiments.

FIG. 44 schematically illustrates other possible features incorporatedin an exemplary separate storage location.

FIG. 45 schematically illustrates other possible features incorporatedin an exemplary capture device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings,similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless contextdictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in thedetailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting.Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made,without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matterpresented here.

FIG. 1 provides a brief, general description of an illustrative and/orsuitable exemplary environment in which embodiments may be implemented.In FIG. 1, as in the other figures, the figure is an example of anenvironment and does not suggest any limitation as to the structure,scope of use, or functionality of an embodiment. An embodiment shouldnot be interpreted as having any dependency or requirement relating toany one or combination of components illustrated in an exemplaryenvironment. For example, in certain instances, elements of anenvironment and/or a method may be deemed not necessary and omitted. Inother instances, other elements may be deemed necessary and added.

FIG. 1 illustrates the exemplary system that includes a thin computingdevice 20 that may interface with an electronic device (not shown). Theelectronic device may include one or more functional elements 51. Forexample, the electronic device may include any item having electricaland/or electronic components playing a role in a functionality of theitem, such as a limited resource computing device, a game console, adigital camera, a cell phone, a printer, a refrigerator, a car, and anairplane. The thin computing device includes a processing unit 21, asystem memory 22, and a system bus 23 that couples various systemcomponents including the system memory to the processing unit. Thesystem bus may be any of several types of bus structures including amemory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus usingany of a variety of bus architectures. The system memory includesread-only memory (ROM) 24 and random access memory (RAM) 25. A basicinput/output system (BIOS) 26, containing the basic routines that helpto transfer information between sub-components within the thin computingdevice, such as during start-up, is stored in the ROM. A number ofprogram modules may be stored in the ROM and/or RAM, including anoperating system 28, one or more application programs 29, other programmodules 30, and program data 31.

A user may enter commands and information into the computing device 20through user input devices, such as a number of switches and buttons,illustrated as hardware buttons 44, which may be associated with theelectronic device and connected via a suitable interface 45. Inputdevices may further include a touch-sensitive display screen 32 withsuitable input detection circuitry 33. The output circuitry of thetouch-sensitive display screen is connected to the system bus 23 via avideo driver 37. Other input devices may include a microphone 34connected through a suitable audio interface 35, and a physical hardwarekeyboard (not shown). In addition to the display 32, the computingdevice 20 may include other peripheral output devices, such as at leastone speaker 38.

Other external input or output devices 39, such as a joystick, game pad,satellite dish, scanner, an external computer readable medium, or thelike may be connected to the processing unit 21 through a USB port 40and USB port interface 41, to the system bus 23. Alternatively, theother external input and output devices 39 may be connected by otherinterfaces, such as a parallel port, game port or other port. Thecomputing device 20 may further include or be capable of connecting to aflash card memory (not shown) through an appropriate connection port(not shown). The computing device may further include or be capable of aconnection with a network through a network port 42 and networkinterface 43, and/or through wireless port 46 and corresponding wirelessinterface 47. Such a connection may be provided to facilitatecommunication with other peripheral devices, including other computers,printers, and so on (not shown). It will be appreciated that the variouscomponents and connections shown are exemplary and other components andmeans of establishing communications links may be used.

The computing device 20 may be designed to include a user interfacehaving a character, key-based, other user data input via the touchsensitive display 32 using a stylus (not shown). Moreover, the userinterface is not limited to an actual touch-sensitive panel arranged fordirectly receiving input, but may alternatively or in addition respondto another input device, such as the microphone 34. For example, spokenwords may be received at the microphone 34 and recognized.Alternatively, the computing device may be designed to include a userinterface having a physical keyboard (not shown).

The device functional elements 51 are typically application specific andrelated to a function of the electronic device. The device functionalelements are driven by a device functional element(s) interface 50,which coupled with the system bus 23. A functional element may typicallyperform a single well-defined task with little or no user configurationor setup, such as a refrigerator keeping food cold, a cell phoneconnecting with an appropriate tower and transceiving voice or datainformation, and/or a camera capturing and saving an image.

In the description that follows, certain embodiments may be describedwith reference to acts and symbolic representations of operations thatare performed by one or more computing devices, such as the thincomputing device 20 of FIG. 1. As such, it will be understood that suchacts and operations, which are at times referred to as beingcomputer-executed, include the manipulation by the processing unit ofthe computer of electrical signals representing data in a structuredform. This manipulation transforms the data or maintains them atlocations in the memory system of the computer, which reconfigures orotherwise alters the operation of the computer in a manner wellunderstood by those skilled in the art. The data structures in whichdata is maintained are physical locations of the memory that haveparticular properties defined by the format of the data. However, whilean embodiment is being described in the foregoing context, it is notmeant to be limiting as those of skill in the art will appreciate thatthe acts and operations described hereinafter may also be implemented inhardware.

Embodiments may be described in a general context of computer-executableinstructions, such as program modules, being executed by a computer.Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects,components, data structures, etc., that perform particular tasks orimplement particular abstract data types. An embodiment may also bepracticed in a distributed computing environment where tasks areperformed by remote processing devices that are linked through acommunications network. In a distributed computing environment, programmodules may be located in both local and remote computer storage mediaincluding memory storage devices.

Embodiments may be implemented with numerous other general-purpose orspecial-purpose computing devices, computing system environments, and/orconfigurations. Examples of well-known computing systems, environments,and/or configurations that may be suitable for use with an embodimentinclude, but are not limited to, personal computers, handheld or laptopdevices, personal digital assistants, multiprocessor systems,microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmable consumerelectronics, network, minicomputers, server computers, game servercomputers, web server computers, mainframe computers, and distributedcomputing environments that include any of the above systems or devices.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary system 200 in which embodiments may beimplemented. The system includes a digital camera 210 having imagecapture and image storage functionality. The digital camera 210 includesa computing device (not shown), such as the thin computing device 20described in conjunction with FIG. 1, that is operable to interact withfunctional elements of the digital camera. The digital camera alsoincludes a plurality of user interfaces 220. The plurality of interfaces220 includes a display 232. In alternative embodiments, the display mayprovide a textual, a visual display, and/or a graphical display. In afurther embodiment, the display may include touch screen functionalityoperable to accept a user input. The plurality of user interfaces of thecamera also includes a microphone 234, a speaker 238, and a plurality oftangible buttons 244A-244E. One or more of the tangible buttons mayinclude a light emitter, such as a light emitting device 246A. Further,one or more of the tangible buttons 244A-244E may include a vibratoroperable to provide a tactile display. The display 232 and the tangiblebuttons 244A-244E may have any functionality appropriate to the digitalcamera. For example, the button 244E may be assigned to operate a cameraelement, such as a shutter function. The button 244A may be assigned an“enter” function, and buttons 244B and 244C may be respectively assigneda scroll up and scroll down function relative to a menu displayed on thedisplay 232. The button 244D may be assigned to operate another cameraelement, such as a lens zoom function. The digital camera also includescontext sensors 250, which may be selected, for example, to producerelevant information about an environment extrinsic to the digitalcamera. The context sensors are illustrated as an external temperaturesensor 252 and a light intensity sensor 254. The digital camera furtherincludes a USB port 240, a network port 242, and/or a wireless port (notshown).

In addition, the digital camera 210 includes a lens (not shown) and animage acquisition module (not shown). The image acquisition modulecontrols the lens, a shutter, an aperture, and/or other elements asnecessary to capture an image through the lens. In an embodiment,capturing images using digital cameras or camcorders may be equated withphotography as performed by conventional film cameras. A captured imagemay be processed, stored, viewed, and/or distributed by the digitalcamera. The digital camera also includes a system memory (not shown),such as the system memory 22 of the thin computing device 20 of FIG. 1.The system memory includes saved operating systems and programsnecessary to operate the digital camera. In addition, the digital cameramay include a computer readable media (not shown), such as the computerreadable medium described in conjunction with FIG. 3 below.

The digital camera 210 includes operability to receive a user inputthrough an interface of the plurality of interfaces 220. For example, inan embodiment, detecting a user touch to the button 244D may be receivedas an instruction and/or a selection. Another detected user touch toanother user interface of the plurality of user interfaces 220 may bereceived as another instruction and/or a selection. The user touch maybe detected by a user interface physically incorporated in the aspect ofthe digital camera 210 or proximate thereto. In an alternativeembodiment, a user input may be received by detecting a signalresponsive to a sound or voice received by the microphone 234. Forexample, a detection and recognition of a signal responsive to a spokencommand to the microphone 234 may be received as an instruction toactivate a program associated with the digital camera. Further, adetection of a signal responsive to a sound or voice may be received bythe microphone 234.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary system 300 in which embodiments may beimplemented. The system includes a digital camera 310. The digitalcamera includes an image acquisition module 320 operable to capture animage, an image management module 330, and a computer readable medium,illustrated as computer readable media 340.

In an embodiment, the digital camera 310 may include a computing device(not expressly shown) that handles any required processing. For example,the computing device may include at least a part of the system describedin conjunction with FIG. 1, including the thin computing device 20, thatmay interface with at least one functional element of the digitalcamera. In an embodiment, the digital camera may include a processingunit, illustrated as a processing unit 350, and a system memory 355,which may be substantially similar to the processing unit 21 and thesystem memory 22 respectively of FIG. 1. In another embodiment, thedigital camera may include at least a part of the exemplary system 200and/or the digital camera 210 described in conjunction with FIG. 2.

The image management module 330 includes an operability to save acaptured image at a resolution in the computer readable medium 340 andin a user-accessible form. In an embodiment, the operability to save thecaptured image at a resolution in the computer readable medium and in auser-accessible form includes an operability to save a captured image ina format at least substantially suitable for presentation by a visualdisplay of the digital camera 310, such as a display screen. Forexample, the operability to save a captured image at a resolution in thecomputer readable medium and in a user-accessible form may include anoperability to save a captured image at a resolution in a JPEG format, aGIF format, a TIFF format, or a PDF format. In another embodiment, theoperability to save the captured image at a resolution in the computerreadable medium and in a user-accessible form includes an operability tosave the captured image at a resolution in the computer readable mediumafter data representative of the captured image has been decoded andprocessed from a raw format. Typically, the raw data is decoded and/orprocessed from a raw format, i.e., raw image data, into a JPEG format, aGIF format, a TIFF format, or a PDF format. In a further embodiment, theoperability to save the captured image at a resolution in the computerreadable medium and in a user-accessible form includes an operability tosave the captured image in a form accessible to a user of the digitalcamera in the computer readable medium. For example, the form accessibleto a user of the digital camera may include a JPEG format, a GIF format,a TIFF format, a PDF format, or a raw format where the digital cameraallows a user access to a saved captured image in a raw format.

In an embodiment, an “image” may include a full image. In anotherembodiment, an “image” may include a portion of an image, a segment of afull image, a thumbnail of an image, and/or an icon that pertains to animage. Another embodiment of an “image” may include a photograph and/ora digital image that can be captured by an image capture device such as,for example, the digital camera 310. Certain embodiments of a streamingimage may include a video that may be captured by the digital camera,such as, for example, a digital camcorder camera.

The term “resolution” may include an indication of a measurement ofimage detail, such as may be expressed as pixels per inch, dots perinch, or samples per inch, etc. In certain embodiments, a file size ofan image is a function of its resolution, and in certain embodiments ofrelatively limited storage-capability cameras, relatively fewhigh-resolution images can be saved.

In another embodiment, a “user-accessible form” may include at least oneof a location in the computer readable medium that allows a user toaccess a file saved therein, a file formatted to allow a user of thedigital camera 310 to view and/or manipulate the captured image, aproperty of the captured image written to the computer readable medium,and/or an organization of the computer readable medium that allows auser to access a file saved therein. For example, data indicative of thecaptured image written to a hard drive in a JPEG format generally allowsa user to view and/or manipulate the captured image. In an embodiment, auser-accessible storage medium may include all or any portion of anycomputer readable storage medium that allows a user, typically through auser interface, to act with respect to and/or interact with the image,such as viewing the image, manipulating the image, and/or directing theimage to another location.

The image management module 330 also includes an operability to decreasethe resolution of the saved captured image in the computer readablemedium if a condition is met. In an embodiment, the condition mayinclude a condition corresponding in part or whole to a state of thecomputer readable medium, a presence and/or absence of a predeterminedcontent of the saved captured image, a characteristic of the savedimage, an image storage administrative criterion, and/or a temporalcriterion. In a further embodiment, a condition does not include anautomatic or standing condition that normally occurs upon completion ofa processing, for example, completion of decoding raw image data into amore machine usable and/or user viewable format.

Examples of decreasing a resolution of a saved captured image include,but are not limited to, changing a resolution of a saved captured image,resampling a saved captured image, adjusting an exposure of a savedcaptured image, adjusting some image content of a saved captured image,and/or adjusting image composition of a saved captured image. Asdescribed within this document, certain embodiments of the decreasing aresolution of a saved captured image are configurable to decrease theresolution of the image such as by utilizing pixel-combination and/orcombination of multiple images. The decreasing a resolution of a savedcaptured image may include altering image intensity and/or color values.The decreasing a resolution of a saved captured image may in certainembodiments, but not others, be equated to sizing the resolution of animage downward, and may other embodiments be implemented by removingpixels from the saved captured image. The decreasing a resolution of asaved captured image may pertain in certain embodiments, but not others,to altering the color values and/or the color intensities of aparticular image. The decreasing a resolution of a saved captured imagemay pertain to decreasing the density of the pixels forming the image.During a resolution decreasing process, in certain embodiments of adisplay or projector, a footprint of pixels may be suitably altered toeffectively change the resolution of the at least one image.

In an embodiment, the computer readable media 340 may include a varietyof computer readable media products. The computer readable media mayinclude any storage media accessible by a computing device, and includesboth removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and not oflimitation, computer-readable media may include any computer storagemedia. Computer storage media includes removable and non-removable mediaimplemented in any method or technology for storage of information suchas computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, orother data. Computer storage media may include, but are not limited to,magnetic devices, such as magnetic disk storage, magnetic cassettes,magnetic tape, or other magnetic storage devices; optical devices, suchas CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD), or other optical disk storage;memory cards, such a flash memory card; and/or any other medium whichmay be used to store the captured information and which can be accessedby a computing device. Combinations of any of the above may also beincluded within the scope of a computer-readable medium.

FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment where the computer readable media 340includes at least one instance of a computer readable medium.Illustrated instances of a computer readable medium include a computerstorage device 348, a non-removable non-volatile medium 346, and/or aremovable non-volatile medium 344. In an embodiment, the computerstorage device may include any device capable of storing data, such as,for example, a mass storage device, a disk drive, and/or a tape drive.In another embodiment, the non-removable non-volatile medium may includea non-volatile magnetic disk or other medium. In a further embodiment,the removable non-volatile medium may include an optical disk such as aCD ROM, magnetic tape cassettes, flash memory cards, DVDs, and/ordigital video tape.

In an embodiment, the computer readable medium 340 includes anon-volatile computer storage device. In another embodiment, thecomputer readable medium includes a non-volatile computer readablemedium. In a further embodiment, the computer readable medium includes aremovable non-volatile computer readable medium.

In an embodiment, the image acquisition module 320 operable to capturean image includes an image acquisition module operable to capture astill image, an image stream, and/or a combination of a still image andan image stream. In another embodiment, the image acquisition moduleoperable to capture an image includes an image acquisition moduleoperable to capture at least one of a visual image, an audio image,and/or a combination of a visual image and an audio image. In a furtherembodiment, the image acquisition module operable to capture an imageincludes an image acquisition module operable to capture an image inresponse to a received instruction from another digital device. Thereceived instruction from another digital device may include aninstruction received from another digital camera. The receivedinstruction may direct capture of the image, or may include dataresponsive to which the image acquisition module captures the image.

In an embodiment, the image management module 330 operable to save acaptured image at a resolution in a computer readable medium and in auser-accessible form includes an image management module operable tosave a captured image at a resolution in the computer readable mediumand in a user-accessible album of images stored in a computer readablemedium. In another embodiment, the image management module operable tosave a captured image at a resolution in a computer readable mediumincludes an image management module operable to save a captured image ata resolution in the computer readable medium and in a user-accessiblecollection of images stored in a computer readable medium. In a furtherembodiment, the image management module operable to save a capturedimage at a resolution in the computer readable medium and in auser-accessible form includes an image management module operable tosave a captured image at a resolution in a user-accessible datastructure.

In an embodiment, the image management module 330 operable to decreasethe resolution of the saved captured image in the computer readablemedium if a condition is met includes an image management moduleoperable to decrease the resolution of the saved captured image in thecomputer readable medium using a lossy compression algorithm if acondition is met. In another embodiment, the image management moduleoperable to decrease the resolution of the saved captured image in thecomputer readable medium if a condition is met includes an imagemanagement module operable to decrease the resolution of the savedcaptured image in the computer readable medium if a time exceeds apreselected time threshold. The preselected time threshold may exceedfive seconds. The preselected time threshold may exceed at least aselected one of ten seconds, thirty seconds, one minute, thirty minutes,ninety minutes, five hours, twelve hours, one day, one week, one month,or one year.

In a further embodiment, the image management module 330 operable todecrease the resolution of the saved captured image in the computerreadable medium if a condition is met includes an image managementmodule operable to decrease the resolution of the saved captured imagein the computer readable medium if a time value is inside a preselectedtime window. In an embodiment, the image management module operable todecrease the resolution of the saved captured image in the computerreadable medium if a condition is met includes an image managementmodule operable to decrease the resolution of the saved captured imagein the computer readable medium if a condition is met where thecondition corresponds to at least one of a storage space availability inthe computer readable medium, a user established parameter, apreselected content of the image, and/or a parameter established by astorage management algorithm. In another embodiment, the imagemanagement module operable to decrease the resolution of the savedcaptured image in the computer readable medium if a condition is metincludes an image management module operable to decrease the resolutionof the saved captured image in the computer readable medium if acondition independent of the operation to save a captured image at aresolution in the computer readable medium is met. In a furtherembodiment, the image management module operable to decrease theresolution of the saved captured image in the computer readable mediumif a condition is met includes an image management module operable todecrease the resolution of the saved captured image in the computerreadable medium if a condition responsive to an examination of at leastone other captured image saved in the computer readable medium is met.For example, a condition responsive to an examination of at least oneother captured image saved in the computer readable medium may includeexamining a content and/or context of the at least one or more othersaved captured images for a repetition and/or duplication. If at leastone other saved captured image is examined and found to be repetitiveand/or duplicative of the saved captured image, the condition would bemet and the image management module would operate to reduce theresolution of the saved captured image. In an alternative embodiment,the image management module may include an operability to reduce theresolution of the at least one other saved image in response to thecondition being met.

In an embodiment, the image management module 330 may further include animage management module operable to further decrease the resolution ofthe captured image saved in the computer readable medium if anothercondition is met.

FIGS. 4A-C illustrate an exemplary operation 400 that decreases theresolution of the saved captured image in the computer readable medium.The operation is described using the exemplary system 300 and thedigital camera 310 of FIG. 3 as an example. In operation of anembodiment of the exemplary system, a user may compose a picture byorientating the lens 360 toward a subject in a scene. The user maycommunicate their preferences about the intended picture to the digitalcamera using elements of the user interface 370. Upon shutteractivation, an imaging chip 322 of the image acquisition module 320generates electrical signals corresponding to the scene in a raw-format.A processing unit 350 and/or an image management module 330 of thedigital camera decodes and/or processes the raw-format image of thescene into a format, such as a JPEG format, a GIF format, a TIFF format,or a PDF format. The decoding and/or processing typically involve thesystem memory 355 of FIG. 3. The image management module 330 then savesthe captured image in a post-decoded/processed format, such as the JPEGformat, at an initial resolution 410 in the computer readable medium340. FIG. 4A illustrates the saved captured image in thepost-decoded/processed format, such as a JPEG format, in the file at, atthe initial resolution 410 in the computer readable medium. Typically,the file will have an initial file size measured in bytes.

If a condition is met, the image management module 330 decreases theresolution of the saved captured image in the computer readable medium340 from the initial resolution 410 to a decreased resolution 415. Forexample, a condition may include whether a user has not caused thedigital camera 310 to display the captured saved image at the initialresolution 410 for more than ten seconds in the 30 days immediatelyafter the image was captured. The image management module monitors forthe condition being met. If the condition is met, i.e., a user has notcaused the digital camera to display the saved captured image at theinitial resolution for more than 10 seconds during the 30 days after theimage was captured, the image management module decreases the resolutionof the saved captured image in the computer readable medium. Theresolution of the saved captured image is decreased from the initialresolution 410 to a lesser or decreased resolution, illustrated as thedecreased resolution 415.

If another condition is met, the image management module 330 may furtherdecrease the decreased resolution 415 of the saved captured image in thecomputer readable medium 340. For example, a condition may includewhether a user has not caused the digital camera 310 to display thecaptured saved image at its decreased resolution 415 for more thanninety seconds during the 90 days after the resolution was reduced fromthe file 410. If the condition is met, i.e., a user has not caused thedigital camera to display the saved captured image for more than ninetyseconds during the 90 days after the saved captured image was reduced,the image management module further decreases the resolution of thewritten captured image in the computer readable medium. The resolutionis decreased from the decreased resolution 415 to a further decreasedresolution, illustrated as a further decreased resolution 420. In anembodiment, each decreased resolution is selected to use less filestorage space in the computer readable medium than its predecessor does.In an embodiment, less viewed or lower user-valued files have theirresolution degraded over time to maximize available storage capacity fornewly captured images and/or frequently viewed images.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary operational flow 600. The exemplaryoperational flow may be implemented in the exemplary system 300described in conjunction with FIG. 3. After a start operation, a storageoperation 610 writes a captured image at a resolution in a computerreadable medium and in a user-accessible form. A transformationoperation 630 decreases the resolution of the written captured image inthe computer readable medium if a condition is met. The operational flowthen proceeds to an end operation.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow 600 of FIG. 5. The storage operation 610 may include atleast one additional operation. The at least one additional operationmay include an operation 612, and/or an operation 614. The operation 612writes an image captured by a digital camera at a resolution in acomputer readable medium associated with a digital camera and in auser-accessible form. The operation 614 writes an image captured by adigital camera at a resolution and in a user-accessible form, thecaptured image being written in at least one of an album of images,and/or a collection of images stored in a computer readable medium.

FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow 600 of FIG. 5. The transformation operation 630 mayinclude at least one additional operation. The at least one additionaloperation may include an operation 632, and/or an operation 636. Theoperation 632 decreases the resolution of the written captured image inthe computer readable medium if a preselected time has elapsed after thewriting of the captured image at a resolution in the computer readablemedium. The operation 632 may include at least one additional operation,such as the operation 634. At the operation 634, the preselected timeincludes at least a selected one of five seconds, ten seconds, thirtyseconds, one minute, thirty minutes, ninety minutes, five hours, twelvehours, one day, one week, one month, or one year. The operation 636decreases the resolution of the written captured image in the computerreadable medium if at least one of an available storage space in thecomputer readable medium is less than a preselected amount, a conditionestablished by a user is met, and/or a criterion corresponding to astorage management algorithm is met.

FIG. 8 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow 600 of FIG. 5. The operational flow may be implementedin a handheld digital camera 646. The transformation operation 630 mayinclude at least one additional operation. The additional operation mayinclude an operation 638, an operation 640, and/or an operation 642. Theoperation 638 decreases the resolution of the written captured image inthe computer readable medium if a condition is met that is not relatedto the writing a captured image at resolution in a computer readablemedium. The operation 640 decreases the resolution of the writtencaptured image in the computer readable medium if a condition responsiveto data received from a device associated with another computer readablemedium is met. When the operational flow is implemented in a digitalcamera, the operation 642 decreases the resolution of the writtencaptured image in the computer readable medium if a condition responsiveto data received from another digital device is met.

FIG. 9 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow 600 of FIG. 5. The operational flow may include atleast one additional operation, such as an operation 650. The operation650 further decreases the resolution of the written captured image inthe computer readable medium if another condition is met.

FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary environment 700 in which embodimentsmay be implemented. The exemplary environment includes a device 710,which may include elements that are at least substantially similar tothe digital camera 310 of FIG. 3. The device includes an imageacquisition module 720 operable to capture an image, a computer readablemedium, illustrated as a computer readable media 740, and an imageadministration circuit 730. The image administration circuit includes animage administration circuit for saving a captured image at a firstresolution in the computer readable medium. The image administrationcircuit also includes a image administration circuit for saving thecaptured image in the computer readable medium at a second resolutionthat is less than the first resolution, and for removing the capturedimage saved at the first resolution from the computer readable medium,both if a condition is met.

In an embodiment, the image administration circuit 730 for saving acaptured image in the computer readable medium at a first resolutionincludes an image administration circuit for saving a captured image ata first resolution in at least one of a nonvolatile, a removable, and/ornon-removable media implemented in any method and/or technology forstorage of digital information. In another embodiment, the imageacquisition module 720 operable to capture an image includes an imageacquisition module operable to capture at least one of a still image, animage stream, and/or a combination of a still image and an image stream.In a further embodiment, the image acquisition module operable tocapture an image includes an image acquisition module operable tocapture at least one of visual image, an audio image, and/or acombination of a visual image and an audio image.

In an embodiment, the image acquisition module 720 operable to capturean image includes an image acquisition module operable to capture areal-world image. In another embodiment, the image administrationcircuit 730 for saving a captured image at a first resolution in thecomputer readable medium includes an image administration circuit forsaving a captured real-world image at a first resolution in the computerreadable medium. In a further embodiment, the image acquisition moduleoperable to capture an image includes an image acquisition moduleoperable to capture a virtual-world image. In another embodiment, theimage administration circuit for saving a captured image at a firstresolution in the computer readable medium includes an imageadministration circuit for saving a captured virtual-world image at afirst resolution in the computer readable medium.

In another embodiment, the image administration circuit 730 for saving acaptured image at a first resolution in the computer readable mediumincludes an image administration circuit for saving a captured image ata first resolution in the computer readable medium and in auser-accessible form. In a further embodiment, the image administrationcircuit for saving a captured image at a first resolution in thecomputer readable medium and in a user-accessible form includes an imageadministration circuit for saving a captured image at a first resolutionin the computer readable medium and in a user-accessible location. In anembodiment, the image administration circuit for saving a captured imageat a first resolution in the computer readable medium and in auser-accessible form includes an image administration circuit for savinga captured image at a first resolution in a computer readable mediumthat allows user access to the saved captured image. In a furtherembodiment, the image administration circuit for saving a captured imageat a first resolution in the computer readable medium and in auser-accessible form includes an image administration circuit for savinga captured image at a first resolution in a computer readable mediumconfigured for user access to the saved captured image.

In an embodiment, the image administration circuit 730 for saving thecaptured image in the computer readable medium at a second resolutionthat is less than the first resolution includes an image administrationcircuit for saving the captured image in the computer readable medium ata resolution reduced from the first resolution. In another embodiment,the image administration circuit for saving the captured image in thecomputer readable medium at a second resolution that is less than thefirst resolution if a condition is met includes an image administrationcircuit for saving the captured image in the computer readable medium ata second resolution where at least a portion of the saved captured imagehas a resolution less than the first resolution. In a furtherembodiment, the image administration circuit for saving the capturedimage in the computer readable medium at a second resolution that isless than the first resolution includes an image administration circuitfor reducing the resolution of the captured image from the firstresolution into the second resolution and for saving the captured imagein the computer readable medium at the second resolution. In anembodiment, the image administration circuit for saving the capturedimage in the computer readable medium at a second resolution that isless than the first resolution includes an image administration circuitfor reducing the resolution of at least one selected frame of astreaming captured image from the first resolution into the secondresolution and not reducing at least one other selected frame of thestreaming captured image.

In an embodiment, the image administration circuit 730 for removing thecaptured image saved at the first resolution from the computer readablemedium includes an image administration circuit for deleting thecaptured image saved at the first resolution from the computer readablemedium. In another embodiment, the image administration circuit forremoving the captured image saved at the first resolution from thecomputer readable medium includes an image administration circuit forcommunicating the captured image saved at the first resolution toanother computer readable medium. In an embodiment, the another computerreadable medium may be physically associated with the device. In furtherembodiment, the another computer readable medium may not physicallyassociated with the device.

In an embodiment, the image administration circuit 730 for communicatingthe captured image saved at the first resolution to another computerreadable medium includes an image administration circuit forcommunicating the captured image saved at the first resolution toanother computer readable medium and acquiring a track-back link to thecommunicated captured image. In another embodiment, the imageadministration circuit for removing the captured image saved at thefirst resolution from the computer readable medium includes an imageadministration circuit for communicating the captured image saved at thefirst resolution to at least one of another computer readable mediumthat is a less accessible computer readable medium, a slower computerreadable medium, a cheaper computer readable medium, a temporarilyavailable computer readable medium, an intermittently available computerreadable medium, a more secure computer readable medium, a less securecomputer readable medium, a public computer readable medium, a privatecomputer readable medium, and/or a computer readable medium that is lessaccessible in terms of a location and/or a rate and/or a format.

In an embodiment, the image administration circuit 730 for saving thecaptured image in the computer readable medium at a second resolutionthat is less than the first resolution if a condition is met includes animage administration circuit for saving the captured image in thecomputer readable medium at a second resolution that is less than thefirst resolution if a preselected time has elapsed since the capturedimage at a first resolution was saved in the computer readable medium.In a further embodiment, the image administration circuit for saving thecaptured image in the computer readable medium at a second resolutionthat is less than the first resolution if a condition is met includes animage administration circuit for saving the captured image in thecomputer readable medium at a second resolution that is less than thefirst resolution if available storage space in the computer readablemedium is less than a preselected threshold. For example, the availablestorage space in the computer readable medium may include a presentlyavailable storage in the computer readable medium that is less than apreselected threshold, and/or predicted availability of storage in thecomputer readable medium that is less than a preselected threshold.

In another embodiment, the image administration circuit 730 for savingthe captured image in the computer readable medium at a secondresolution that is less than the first resolution if a condition is metincludes an image administration circuit for saving the captured imagein the computer readable medium at a second resolution that is less thanthe first resolution if a condition established by a user is met. Thecondition established by a user may include a user-selected condition, auser-created condition, and/or a user-determined condition. In a furtherembodiment, the image administration circuit for saving the capturedimage in the computer readable medium at a second resolution that isless than the first resolution if a condition is met includes an imageadministration circuit for saving the captured image in the computerreadable medium at a second resolution that is less than the firstresolution if an image resolution changing criterion established by astorage administration criterion is met. In an embodiment, the storageadministration criterion may correspond to image content, image contentattributes, time, storage space, presence and/or absence of a selectedsubject, a frequent presence of a selected subject in other savedcaptured images, an at least substantial similarity to other savedcaptured images, and/or an at least substantial similarity to othersaved captured images having a commonality; such as recently captured,captured in a time frame, and/or captured in temporal or spatialproximity. For example, a storage administration criterion may includekeeping only one high resolution saved captured image of my son from allthose captured during the month of December. In another example, astorage administration criterion may include keeping, i.e., notdeceasing the resolution of sufficient images to enable some task orgoal, such as keeping just enough images to construct a panorama, tocreate a high dynamic range composite, and/or an infinite depth of fieldimage.

In an embodiment, the image administration circuit 730 for saving thecaptured image in the computer readable medium at a second resolutionthat is less than the first resolution if a condition is met includes animage administration circuit for saving the captured image in thecomputer readable medium at a second resolution that is less than thefirst resolution if a condition corresponding to data received fromanother digital device is met. In another embodiment, the imageadministration circuit for saving the captured image in the computerreadable medium at a second resolution that is less than the firstresolution if a condition is met includes an image administrationcircuit for saving the captured image in the computer readable medium ata second resolution that is less than the first resolution if acondition responsive to an examination of at least one other capturedimage saved in the computer readable medium is met. In a furtherembodiment, the another digital device includes an image acquisitionmodule operable to capture an image. In another embodiment, the deviceincludes a digital camera. In a further embodiment, the device includesa handheld digital camera.

In an embodiment, the an image administration circuit 730 furtherincludes an image administration circuit for saving the captured imagein the computer readable medium at a third resolution that is less thanthe second resolution and removing from the computer readable medium thecaptured image saved at the second resolution, if another condition ismet.

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary operational flow 800. After a startoperation, a storage operation 810 saves a photograph in a computerreadable medium, the photograph being written in a first digital filehaving a first file size and an availability to a user. For example, inan embodiment, after a raw image is processed, data representative ofthe photograph is written into a semi-permanent or permanent storagemedium for a later retrieval. A reduction operation 830 saves thephotograph in a second digital file having a second and smaller filesize than the first file size, and removes the first digital file havinga first file size from the computer readable medium, both if a conditionis met. The operational flow then proceeds to an end operation.

In an embodiment, a photograph may include a single picture of a scene,a stream of pictures of a scene that may be static or dynamic, and/or acombination thereof. In another embodiment, the image acquisition moduleoperable to capture an image includes an image acquisition moduleoperable to capture at least one of a visual picture, a sound, and/or acombination thereof.

FIG. 12 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow 800 of FIG. 11. The storage operation 810 may includeat least one additional operation. The at least one additional operationmay include an operation 812 and/or an operation 814. At the operation812, the saving a photograph in a computer readable medium includes asaving at least one of a single scene, a stream of scenes, and/or acombination of a single scene and a stream of scenes in the computerreadable medium. The operation 814 saves a photograph in a computerreadable medium associated with a device that took the photograph. Theoperation 814 may include at least one additional operation, such as theoperation 816. The operation 816 saves a photograph in a computerreadable medium associated with a handheld digital camera that took thephotograph.

FIG. 13 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow 800 of FIG. 11. The reduction operation 830 may includeat least one additional operation. The at least one additional operationmay include an operation 832, an operation 834, and operation 836, anoperation 838 and/or an operation 839. The operation 832 saves thephotograph at a resolution that results in a second and smaller filesize than when written in the first digital file having a first filesize. The operation 834 saves the photograph in a second digital fileusing a compression algorithm that results in a smaller second file sizethan the first file size. The operation 836 removes the first digitalfile having a first file size from the computer readable medium by atleast one of sending the first digital file having a first file size toanother computer readable medium, and/or deleting the first digital filehaving a first file size from the computer readable medium. For example,the first digital file may be removed from the computer readable mediumand sent to another computer readable medium. The another computerreadable medium may be permanently or removably associated with anelectronic device that is also associated with the computer readablemedium, such as a flash memory card or an external hard drive.Alternatively, the another computer readable medium may be permanentlyor removably associated with another electronic device, such as acomputing device or digital camera. The operation 838 saves thephotograph in a second digital file having a second and smaller filesize than the first file size in response to at least one of a temporalparameter, an absence of a predetermined amount of available storagespace, a user established parameter, and/or a parameter established by astorage management algorithm. For example, a temporal parameter mayinclude an elapsed time since the photograph was taken, or last viewed.An absence of a predetermined amount of available storage space mayinclude less than a percentage of the computer readable medium beingavailable for a storage of new data; e.g., less than 10% of a flashmemory card being available. Alternatively, the absence of apredetermined amount of available storage space may include less than apreselected storage capacity being available, such as 500 KB, or 1 MB. Astorage management algorithm may include an algorithm that characterizesfactors that limit the amount of photographs, and alternatively otherfiles, that may be saved on the computer readable medium, and managesthe size of at least one of the digital files. The operation 839 savesthe photograph in a second digital file having a second and smaller filesize than the first file size if a condition responsive to anexamination of at least one other captured image saved in the computerreadable medium is met.

FIG. 14 illustrates another alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow 800 of FIG. 11. The exemplary operational flow mayinclude at least one additional operation, such as another reductionoperation 850. If another condition is met, the another reductionoperation saves the photograph in a third digital file at a third andsmaller file size than the second file size and removes the second filehaving a second file size from the computer readable medium.

FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary operational flow 900. After a startoperation, the exemplary operational flow moves to a first storageoperation 910. The first storage operation saves a first image at afirst resolution of the first image in a user-accessible data structure.A second storage operation 920 saves a second image at a firstresolution of the second image in the user-accessible data structure. Ifa condition is met, a degradation operation 930 saves in theuser-accessible data structure the first image at a second resolution ofthe first image that is a lesser resolution than the first resolution ofthe first image, and removes from the user-accessible data structure thefirst image saved at the first resolution of the first image. In anembodiment, the degradation operation 930 may be performed before orafter the second storage operation. The operational flow then moves toan end operation.

FIG. 16 illustrates another embodiment of the exemplary operational flow900 of FIG. 15. The exemplary operational flow may include at least oneadditional operation. An additional operation may include a thirdstorage operation 940. The third storage operation 940 includes savingin the user-accessible data structure a third image at a firstresolution of the third image. If a second condition is met, the thirdstorage operation also includes saving in the user-accessible datastructure a third resolution of the first image that is lesserresolution than the second resolution of the first image, and removingfrom the user-accessible data structure the first image saved at thesecond resolution of the first image.

FIG. 17 illustrates a further embodiment of the exemplary operationalflow 900 of FIG. 15. The exemplary operational flow may include at leastone another additional operation. Another additional operation mayinclude another third storage operation 962. If a second condition ismet, the another third storage operation includes saving in theuser-accessible data structure a third resolution of the first imagethat is lesser resolution than the second resolution of the first image,and removing from the user-accessible data structure the first imagesaved at the second resolution of the first image. The operation 962 mayinclude at least one additional operation, such as the operation 964. Ifa third condition is met, the operation 964 saves in the user-accessibledata structure the second image at a second resolution of the secondimage that is a lesser resolution than first resolution of the secondimage, and removes from the user-accessible data structure the secondimage saved at the first resolution of the second image.

FIG. 18 illustrates a further embodiment of the exemplary operationalflow 900 of FIG. 15. The exemplary operational flow may include at leastone further additional operation. A further additional operation mayinclude an operation 966. If a second condition is met, the operation966 saves in the user-accessible data structure the first image at athird resolution of the first image that is a lesser resolution than thesecond resolution of the first image, and removes from theuser-accessible data structure the first image saved at the secondresolution of the first image. Also if the second condition is met, theoperation 966 saves in the user-accessible data structure the secondimage at a second resolution of the second image that is a lesserresolution than first resolution of the second image, and removing fromthe user-accessible data structure the second image saved at the firstresolution of the second image.

FIG. 19 illustrates another embodiment of the exemplary operational flow900 of FIG. 15. The exemplary operational flow may include at least onefurther additional operation. A further additional operation may includean operation 968, which comprises an operation 986A and an operation968B. At the operation 968A, the saving in a user-accessible datastructure a first image at a first resolution of the first imageincludes saving in a user-accessible data structure a first image of areal-world scene at a first resolution of the first image. At theoperation 968B, saving in the user-accessible data structure a secondimage at a first resolution of the second image includes saving in theuser-accessible data structure a second image of a real-world scene at afirst resolution of the second image.

FIGS. 20A-D illustrates an embodiment 870 of the exemplary operationalflow 800 of FIG. 16. The embodiment 870 of the exemplary operationalflow 800 is described using the exemplary system 300 and digital camera310 of FIG. 3 as an example. In operation of an embodiment of thedigital camera 310, a user may compose a first picture/image byorientating the lens 360 toward a subject in a first scene. The user maycommunicate their preferences about the first composed picture to thedigital camera using elements of the user interface 370. Upon shutteractivation, an imaging chip of the image acquisition module 320generates electrical signals corresponding to the first picture/image ina raw format. A processing unit 350 and/or an image management module330 of the digital camera decodes and/or processes the first image inthe raw format into a format, such as a JPEG format, a GIF format, aTIFF format, or a PDF format. The decoding and/or processing typicallyinvolves the system memory 355 of FIG. 3. The image management module330 then saves the first image 972 in a post-decoded/processed format,such as the JPEG format, at a first resolution of the first image in auser-accessible data structure, illustrated as the user-accessible datastructure 340 of FIG. 3. FIG. 20A illustrates the first image in thepost-decoded/processed format saved in a file at a first resolution ofthe first image in the user-accessible data structure 980, such as theJPEG format. In an alternative embodiment, the first image may be savedin a raw format in the user-accessible data structure.

For a second image, the user may compose a second picture/image byorientating the lens 360 toward a subject in a second scene as above.The image management module 330 saves the second image 974 at a firstresolution of the second image in the computer readable medium 980. FIG.20A illustrates the second image in a post-decoded/processed format in asaved file at a first resolution of the second image in theuser-accessible data structure, such as a JPEG format.

FIG. 20B further illustrates an embodiment that may be implemented atany time, such as before the second image is saved at a first resolutionof the second image or thereafter. If a first condition is met, thefirst image 972 is saved in the user-accessible data structure 980 at asecond resolution of the first image that is a lesser resolution thanthe first resolution of the first image. Also if the first condition ismet, the first image saved at the first resolution of the first image isremoved from the user-accessible data structure. The first condition mayinclude any condition described in this document. An exemplary firstcondition may include an absence of a predetermined amount of availablestorage space in the user-accessible data structure.

For a third image, the user may compose a third picture/image byorientating the lens 360 toward a subject in a third scene as above. Theimage management module 330 saves the third image 976 at a firstresolution of the third image in the computer readable medium 980. FIG.20C illustrates the third image in a post-decoded/processed format in asaved file at a first resolution of the third image in theuser-accessible data structure, such as a JPEG format.

FIG. 20D illustrates an embodiment that may be implemented at any time,such as before the third image 976 is saved at a first resolution of thethird image or thereafter. If a second condition is met, the first image972 is saved in the user-accessible data structure 980 at a thirdresolution of the first image that is a lesser resolution than thesecond resolution of the first image. Also if the first condition ismet, the first image saved at the second resolution of the first imageis removed from the user-accessible data structure. The second conditionmay include any condition described in this document.

FIG. 20D also illustrates another embodiment that may be implemented atany time, such as before the third image 976 is saved at a firstresolution of the third image or thereafter. If a third condition ismet, the second image 974 is saved in the user-accessible data structure980 at a second resolution of the second image that is a lesserresolution than the first resolution of the second image. Also if thesecond condition is met, the second image saved at the second resolutionof the second image is removed from the user-accessible data structure.The second condition may include any condition described in thisdocument.

In an embodiment, the first image 972, the second image 974, and/or thethird image 976 may be saved in a digital photo album of images and/or acollection of digital images 985 in the user-accessible data structure.In another embodiment, the first image 972, the second image 974, and/orthe third image 976 may be received from a source that may or may nothave captured the images. These received images may be saved and managedas described in conjunction with FIGS. 16-19.

FIG. 21 illustrates an exemplary device 1000 in which embodiments may beimplemented. The exemplary device includes means 1005 for saving acaptured image at resolution in a computer readable medium and in auser-accessible form. The exemplary device 1010 also includes means 1010for decreasing the resolution of the saved captured image in thecomputer readable medium if a condition is met.

FIG. 22 illustrates another exemplary device 1030 in which embodimentsmay be implemented. The exemplary device includes means 1035 for savinga photograph in a computer readable medium, the photograph being savedin a first digital file having a first file size and availability to ahuman user. The exemplary device also includes means 1040 for saving thephotograph in a second digital file having a second and smaller filesize than the first file size and removing the first digital file havinga first file size from the computer readable medium, if a condition ismet.

FIG. 23 illustrates a further exemplary device 1060 in which embodimentsmay be implemented. The exemplary device includes means 1065 for savinga first image at a first resolution in a user-accessible data structure.The exemplary device also includes means 1070 for saving a second imageat a first resolution of the second image in the user-accessible datastructure. The exemplary device further includes means 1080 for savingin the user-accessible data structure the first image at a secondresolution of the first image that is a lesser resolution than the firstresolution of the first image and removing from the user-accessible datastructure the first image saved at the first resolution of the firstimage if a first condition is met.

FIG. 24 illustrates an exemplary operational flow 1100 in whichembodiments may be implemented. After a start operation, the exemplaryoperational flow moves to a hold operation 1110. The hold operationsaves a digital image in a form in a user-accessible storage medium. Achange operation 1120 alters the form of the saved digital image if acondition is met. The operational flow then proceeds to an endoperation.

FIG. 25 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow 1100 of FIG. 24. The change operation 1120 may includeat least one additional operation. The at least one additional operationmay include an operation 1122, an operation 1124, an operation 1126,and/or an operation 1128. If a condition is met, the operation 1122compresses the saved digital image. If a condition is met, the operation1124 reduces a resolution of the saved digital image. If a condition ismet, the operation 1126 reduces a resolution of the saved digital imagesufficiently to meet a selected objective. For example, the selectedobjective may include a preselected objective or a substantiallycontemporaneously selected objective. By way of another example, aselected objective may include constructing a panorama that includes thedigital image, creating a high dynamic range composite that includes thedigital image, and/or a selected depth of field. If a condition is met,the operation 1128 aggregates the saved digital image with anotherdigital image.

FIG. 26 illustrates another alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow 1100 of FIG. 24. The change operation 1120 may includeat least one additional operation. The at least one additional operationmay include an operation 1132, an operation 1134, an operation 1136,and/or an operation 1138. If a condition is met, the operation 1132archives the saved digital image to another user-accessible storagemedium. If a condition is met, the operation 1134 deletes the saveddigital image. If a condition is met, the operation 1136 crops the saveddigital image. If a condition is met, the operation 1138 transfers thesaved digital image to another user-accessible storage medium.

FIG. 27 illustrates a further alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow 1100 of FIG. 24. The change operation 1120 may includeat least one additional operation. The at least one additional operationmay include an operation 1142, an operation 1144, an operation 1146,and/or an operation 1148. If a condition is met, the operation 1142alters the form of the saved digital image if the saved digital imageincludes a presence of a selected subject. If a condition is met, theoperation 1144 alters the form of the saved digital image if the saveddigital image does not include a presence of a selected subject. If acondition is met, the operation 1146 alters the form of the saveddigital image if the saved digital image includes a presence of aselected subject having a presence in at least one other digital imagesaved in the user-accessible storage medium. For example, a presence ofa selected subject may include a selected frequency of a presence of aselected subject. If a condition is met, the operation 1148 alters theform of the saved digital image if the saved digital image includes aselected subject absent from at least one other digital image saved inthe user-accessible storage medium.

FIG. 28 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow 1100 of FIG. 24. The change operation 1120 may includeat least one additional operation, such as the operation 1152. If acondition is met, the operation 1152 alters the form of the saveddigital image if a condition corresponding to a user-selected objective.For example, a user-selected objective may include limiting saved imagesof my cat in an album or in the computer readable medium to X savedimages, and/or saving the digital image to a contact sheet of exemplarsand/or thumbnail display if more than Y pictures of subject Z are savedin the computer readable medium. The operational flow 1100 may includeat least one additional operation, such as the operation 1160. If acondition is met, the operation 1160 further alters the form of thesaved digital image.

FIG. 29 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the exemplaryoperational flow 1100 of FIG. 24. An additional operation may include anoperation 1154, which comprises an operation 1154A and an operation1154B. At the operation 1154A, the saving a digital image in a form in auser-accessible storage medium includes saving a digital image acquiredat a first time in a form in a user-accessible storage medium. Thedigital image acquired at a first time may include a digital imagecaptured at a first time or a digital image saved at a first time. Atthe operation 1154B, the altering the form of the saved digital image ifa condition is met includes altering the form of the saved digital imageacquired at a first time if the saved digital image includes a presenceof a selected subject also having a presence in at least one otherdigital image saved in the user-accessible storage medium and acquiredwithin a preselected time of the first time.

FIG. 30 illustrates an exemplary system 1200 in which embodiments may beimplemented. The exemplary system includes a device 1210. The deviceincludes a processing unit, such as the processing unit 350 of FIG. 3, asystem memory, such as the system memory 355 of FIG. 3, a storage mediummanager module 1230, and a user-accessible digital storage medium,illustrated as the user-accessible digital storage media 1240. In analternative embodiment, the device may include an image acquisitionmodule, such as the image acquisition module 320 of FIG. 3; a lens, suchas the lens 360 of FIG. 3; and/or a user interface, such as the userinterface 370 of FIG. 3.

The storage medium manager module 1230 is operable to save a digitalimage in a form in the user-accessible digital storage medium 1240. Thestorage medium manager module is also operable to alter the form of thesaved digital image if a condition is met. The condition may include atleast one of clarifying condition, a user-defined condition, an informedcondition, an evaluated condition, and/or a computed condition. Aninformed condition may include a condition that employs obtainedinformation, in contrast to a condition running autonomously or anuninformed condition. An evaluated condition may include a conditionevaluated in response to an internal condition, an external condition,and/or both conditions. A computed condition may include any computedcondition, in contrast with a standing condition and/or a normal ornative condition related to the digital image and/or the storage medium.

In an embodiment, the storage medium manager module 1230 operable tosave a digital image in a form in the user-accessible digital storagemedium 1240 includes a storage medium manager module operable to save adigital image of a real-world event in a form in the user-accessibledigital storage medium. In another embodiment, the user-accessibledigital storage medium includes a user-accessible digital storage mediumassociated with a digital camera operable to capture the digital image.In a further embodiment, the device 1210 further includes the processingunit 350. In another embodiment, the storage medium manager modulefurther includes a storage medium manager module operable to provide thealtered form of the saved digital image.

An embodiment provides a computer program product. The computer programproduct includes a computer-readable signal-bearing medium bearingprogram instructions. The program instructions include instructionsoperable to perform a process in a computing device. The processincludes saving a digital image in a form in a user-accessible storagemedium, and altering the form of the saved digital image if a conditionis met. The computer-readable signal-bearing medium bearing the programinstructions may include a computer-storage medium bearing the programinstructions. The computer-readable signal-bearing medium bearing theprogram instructions may include a communications medium bearing theprogram instructions.

Another embodiment provides a device. The device includes means forsaving a digital image in a form in the digital storage medium. Thedevice also includes means for altering the form of the saved digitalimage if a condition is met.

A further embodiment provides a method. The method includes saving acaptured image in a user-accessible memory. The method also includesdeallocating at least a portion of the user-accessible memory associatedwith the saved captured image if a condition is met. In an embodiment,the saving a captured image into a user-accessible memory includessaving a captured image at a resolution into a user-accessible memory.In another embodiment, the deallocating at least a portion of theuser-accessible memory associated with the saved captured image if acondition is met includes deallocating at least a portion of theuser-accessible memory associated with the saved captured image if acondition is met. In a further embodiment, the deallocating at least aportion of the user-accessible memory associated with the saved capturedimage if a condition is met includes deallocating at least a portion ofthe user-accessible memory associated with the saved captured image if acondition is met that includes at least one of a clarifying condition, auser-defined condition, an informed condition, an evaluated condition,and/or a computed condition.

An embodiment provides a device. The device includes a memory and amemory manager. The memory manager includes operability to save acaptured image into a user-accessible memory. The memory manager alsoincludes operability to deallocate at least a portion of the memoryassociated with the resolution if a condition is met.

Another embodiment provides a device. The device includes first meansfor a holding user-accessible digital data representative of an image.The device also includes second means for saving user-accessible digitaldata representative of an image in the first means. The device furtherincludes third means for altering the saved user-accessible digital datarepresentative of the saved digital image if a condition is met.

A further embodiment provides a computer program product. The computerprogram product includes a computer-readable signal-bearing mediumbearing program instructions. The program instructions are operable toperform a process in a computing device. The process includes saving acaptured image in a memory and in a user-accessible form. The processalso includes deallocating at least a portion of the memory associatedwith the saved captured image if a condition is met. Thecomputer-readable signal-bearing medium bearing the program instructionsmay include a computer-storage medium bearing the program instructions.The computer-readable signal-bearing medium bearing the programinstructions may include a communications medium bearing the programinstructions.

An embodiment provides a method. The method includes directing digitaldata representative of an image to a managed means for holding thedigital data representative of an image. The method also includesaccepting modified digital data representative of the image, the digitaldata representative of the image having been modified by deallocating atleast a portion of the digital data representative of the image by themanaged means for holding digital data upon occurrence of a condition.

Referring to an exemplary high level embodiment 1220 shown in FIG. 31,process components may include obtaining captured data on a device,which captured data has a given high quality resolution (block 1221);transferring some or all of the captured data via a communication linkto a separate storage location for future availability, wherein selectedcaptured data is initially received at the separate storage locationwithout a significant loss of the high quality resolution (block 1222);confirming a storage protocol for keeping a saved version of theselected captured data at the separate storage location, which storageprotocol includes different storage organization categories (block1223); and maintaining an identifier record to enable futureaccessibility to the selected captured data by one or more authorizedparties or approved devices (block 1224).

The flow chart of FIG. 32 discloses additional exemplary embodiments1225 which may include previously described process features 1221, 1222,1223, 1224 along with possible attributes relating to the identifierrecord. For example, an implementation may include providing theidentifier record generated by the device (block 1226), and in someinstances providing the identifier record generated at the separatestorage location (block 1227).

Additional features may include providing the future accessibility via acommunication link with an approved device (block 1228), and providingthe future accessibility via a communication link with an authorizedparty (block 1229). Further features may include providing restrictedaccessibility to the saved version of the selected captured data basedon a fee schedule (block 1231) and providing a fee schedule thatincludes a fee allocation paid to an entity responsible for the separatestorage location (block 1232).

Some implementations may provide a storage protocol that allows accessto the saved version of the selected captured data by an authorizedthird party (block 1233). Other possible features may include providinga storage management task that allows usage or retrieval or distributionor replication or modification or reorganization of the saved version ofthe selected captured data (block 1236), providing for further retentionof the saved version of the selected captured data by the separatestorage location subsequent to executing the storage management task(block 1237), and providing a fee schedule that includes a feeallocation paid by or on behalf of an authorized user or an authorizedthird party (block 1238).

Referring to detailed embodiments 1240 shown in FIG. 33, otherembodiments may include previously described process components 1221,1222, 1223 along with providing one or more of the following types ofstorage organization guidelines to facilitate future accessibility:original high resolution, permanent high resolution, temporary highresolution, lower resolution, temporary lower resolution, permanentlower resolution, deleted high resolution, deleted lower resolution,deleted content, included content, excluded content, subject matter,event, author, creator, participant, redundancy, repetition, quality,size, resolution, fidelity, tagged, preview, sample, group, sub-group,composite group, individual, personage, entity, item, content,composition, summary, augmentation, attribute, content category,frequency, and inventory (block 1243).

Additional aspects may include approving a storage format for the savedversion of the selected captured data based on accessibility tosubstantially non-altered data components (block 1241), and in someinstances accessibility to regenerated or transformed data components(block 1242).

Further possible aspects shown in FIG. 33 may include implementing atransfer based on one or more of the following criteria: rule, userinput, user state, configuration, commercial, personal, context, space,device memory, device capability, bandwidth, separate storage memory,separate storage capability, separate storage accessibility, cost, task,preference, storage protocol, security, privacy, affiliation, andmembership (block 1246).

Another feature may include implementing a transfer to one or more ofthe following types of storage schemes: backup, archive, removable,rewritable, permanent, server, base station, network storage, web site,central, integrated, distributed, dispersed, fragmented, non-altered,transformed, encoded, bitmap, compression, volatile, replicated, thirdparty, storefront, mobile, vehicle, residence, office, shared,proprietary, and rights-managed (block 1247).

The embodiments 1250 of FIG. 34 may include previously disclosedfeatures 1221, 1222, 1223 in combination with related aspects concerningthe storage protocol. For example, a possible aspect may includeproviding the different storage organization categories based at leastin part on one or more of the following type of parameters: temporal,available device memory, available storage location memory, userselected, device limitation, storage location requirement, and recipientchoice (block 1251).

Another process features may include implementing a transfer via awireless link to the separate storage location (block 1252). Furtheraspects may include providing the different storage organizationcategories based at least in part on a parameter established by astorage management algorithm (block 1256). Related possible aspects mayestablish the storage management algorithm that retains in a devicememory some captured data having a quality parameter that is within anoutput capability range of the device (block 1258), and in some instancemay establish the storage management algorithm that transfers to theseparate storage location some captured data having a quality parameterthat exceeds an output capability of the device (block 1257).

Another possible feature includes establishing the storage managementalgorithm based at least in part on one or more of the followingparameters: creator, participant, originator, source, owner,proprietary, public domain, goal, subject matter, event, establishedpolicy, selected policy, custom policy, redundancy, variety, resolution,reproduction, replication, captured quality, device quality, capturedfidelity, device fidelity, commercial value, personal value, expectedfuture use, recipient, required access frequency, expected accessfrequency, potential distribution, taxonomy, common theme, tag,classification, device capability, device attribute, device parameter,storage capability, storage attribute, storage parameter, devicesetting, user task, device context, user context, device history, anduser history (block 1259).

Referring to FIG. 35, additional detailed embodiments 1260 may includetransferring some or all of the captured data via a communication linkto a separate storage location for future availability, wherein selectedcaptured data initially received at the separate storage location has agiven high quality resolution (block 1261). Other possible processfeatures may include implementing a storage protocol for keeping a savedversion of the selected captured data at the separate storage location,which storage protocol includes different organization categories (block1262). A further aspect may include maintaining an identifier record toenable future accessibility to the selected captured data by anauthorized party or by a designated device (block 1263).

Some implementations may further provide for maintaining the identifierrecord to facilitate a storage management task concerning the savedversion of the selected captured data via a communication link with thedesignated device or with an authorized party (block 1264). Furtheraspects may include providing an exemplar or abbreviation or indiciathat is recognizable by the authorized party and that is operablycoupled to the identifier record to facilitate a storage management taskconcerning the saved version of the selected captured data (block 1266).

Another possible feature disclosed in FIG. 35 may provide an exemplar orabbreviation or indicia including one or more of the following: symbol,code, name, title, icon, date, excerpt, characteristic, form, alternateformat, listing, reorganization, aggregation, summary, reduction,representation, sample, thumbnail, image, preview, group specimen, andsub-group element (block 1267). Further aspects may include providing anexemplar or abbreviation or indicia that is recognizable by theauthorized party and that serves as the identifier record to facilitatea storage management task concerning the saved version of the selectedcaptured data (block 1268).

Some implementations may include processing the selected captured datato accomplish an allocation of the selected captured data among the oneor more storage organization categories, which allocation is establishedautomatically by the device prior to the transferring to the separatestorage location (block 1269).

Referring to FIG. 36, various embodiments 1270 may include previouslydescribed process components 1261, 1262, 1263 in combination withpossible aspects relating to the identifier record. For example, apossible aspect may include providing one or more of the following typesof identifier records to facilitate accessibility to the saved versionof the selected captured data: exemplar, abbreviation, indicia, symbol,code, name, title, icon, date, excerpt, characteristic, form, alternateformat, listing, reorganization, aggregation, summary, reduction,representation, sample, thumbnail, image, preview, group specimen,sub-group element, unique, non-unique, arbitrary, global, semantic,public, private, and encoded (block 1271). Such accessibility may befacilitated to the saved version of the selected captured data from thedesignated device (block 1272), and also may be facilitated from anauthorized party (block 1273).

As further illustrated in FIG. 36, additional implementation featuresmay include processing the selected captured data to accomplish anallocation of the selected captured data among the one or more storageorganization categories, which allocation is determined by an authorizeduser associated with the device prior to the transferring to theseparate storage location (block 1276). In some instances suchallocation is determined by an authorized user associated with thedevice after the selected captured data is received at the separatestorage location (block 1277).

The exemplary embodiments 1280 disclosed in FIG. 37 include previouslydiscussed process components 1221, 1222, 1223, 1224 as well as variousfeatures related to the identifier record. For example, a possibleaspect may include enabling an approved device or authorized user tolocate the saved version by reference to the identifier record (block1282). Another possible aspect may include enabling an approved deviceor authorized user to execute a storage management task by reference tothe identifier record (block 1281).

Other possible features may include maintaining the identifier recordthat enables an authorized user or an authorized third party to use adifferent device to obtain future accessibility to the saved version ofthe selected captured data (block 1283).

Additional implementations may include obtaining one or more of thefollowing types of captured data: text, image, graphics, voice, music,sound, audio, video, audio/visual, monochrome, color, data log,measurement, instruction, biomedical, financial, sensor, environmental,personal, public, transactional, shopping, commercial, security,automotive, device-diagnostic, game, and virtual world (block 1286).Another possible aspect may include obtaining one or more of thefollowing types of captured data: still image, image stream, andcombination of still image and image stream (block 1287).

Further illustrated aspects may include obtaining one or more of thefollowing types of captured data: real-time, time-delayed, original,copied, scanned, faxed, sensed, detected, derived, computed, modified,composite, enhanced, reduced, filtered, edited, condensed, compressed,compiled, retransmitted, forwarded, stored, cached, prefetched,processed, raw, live, batched, and uploaded (block 1288).

The detailed flow chart of FIG. 38 shows exemplary embodiments 1290 thatinclude previously discussed process components 1221, 1222, 1223, 1224in combination with other possible aspects. For example, someimplementations may include enabling a programmed selection of thecaptured data to be saved on storage media at the separate storagelocation based at least in part on making the captured data availablefor processing prior to the transferring (block 1291). A further aspectmay include employing one or more of the following features for makingthe captured data available to an authorized party prior to thetransferring: printout, screen display, viewfinder display, displaymonitor, thumbnail display, removable memory, device memory, audio,tactile, alert, notification, transmittal to other device, andinstructional (block 1292).

Further possible features may include making a selection of the captureddata to be saved on storage media at the storage location based at leastin part on a set of rules configured by an owner or operator of theseparate storage location (block 1293).

Other illustrated process components shown in FIG. 38 include mayinclude allowing an authorized user associated with the device to selectan automatic transfer mode wherein the selected captured data isautomatically transferred to the storage media at the separate storagelocation (block 1296), and implementing the automatic transfer modebased on inadequate memory associated with the device (block 1297).

A further possible aspect may include allowing an authorized userassociated with the device to make a determination or modification of anapplicable storage organization category after the selected captureddata has been transferred from the device (block 1298).

Referring to the various embodiments 1300 of FIG. 39, previouslydiscussed process features 1221, 1222, 1223, 1224 are combined withfurther possible aspects relating to the identifier record. For example,some implementations may include enabling an authorized user associatedwith the device to make the selection of the captured data to be savedon storage media at the storage location based at least in part onmaking the captured data available to the authorized user associatedwith the device prior to the transferring (block 1301).

A further related aspect may include employing one or more of thefollowing features for making the captured data available to anauthorized user associated with the device: printout, screen display,viewfinder display, display monitor, thumbnail display, removablememory, device memory, audio, tactile, alert, notification, transmittalto other device, and instructional (block 1302).

Another possible feature may include making a selection of the captureddata to be saved on storage media at the separate storage location basedat least in part on a set of rules configured by an authorized userassociated with the device (block 1303).

FIG. 39 illustrates additional possible aspects including operating thedevice in a delayed transfer mode wherein the selected captured data istemporarily stored on memory associated with the device prior to thetransferring to the separate storage location (block 1306), andproviding authorized user accessibility to the selected captured datatemporarily stored on the memory associated with the device (block1307). Another related aspect may include providing authorized useraccessibility to one or more representative samples of the selectedcaptured data temporarily stored on the memory associated with thedevice (block 1308).

The flow chart of FIG. 40 shows exemplary embodiments 1310 that includepreviously described process components 1221, 1222, 1223, 1224 incombination with other possible aspects including allowing one or moreexcerpt or transformation of the selected captured data to be retainedfor future reference on memory associated with the device (block 1311).A further related aspect may include providing one or more of thefollowing types of annotation information associated with the excerpt ortransformation of the selected captured data: date, topic, event, deviceuser, wireless storage destination, applicable storage protocol,organization category, resolution quality, scheduled deletion, scheduledquality downgrade, and fee schedule (block 1312).

Additional implementations may include making a transfer of the selectedcaptured data to storage media owned or controlled by an authorized userassociated with the device (block 1314), and making a transfer of theselected captured data to a storage media owned or controlled by a thirdparty (block 1313).

Referring to the exemplary embodiments 1315 of FIG. 41, previouslydiscussed process features 1221, 1222, 1223, 1224 may be implementedwith possible aspects that include obtaining captured data on one ormore of the following type of devices: still camera, audio recorder,digital audio recorder, audio-visual recorder, video recorder, digitalvideo recorder, video camera, video/still camera, data recorder,telephone, cell phone, transceiver, PDA, computer, server, printer, fax,multi-function device, scanner, copier, surveillance camera, datasensor, mote, distributed imaging element, ingested sensor, medicalsensor, medical imaging, health-monitoring device, traffic managementdevice, media library, media player, vehicle sensor, vehicular device,environmental sensor, implanted device, mobile unit, fixed unit,integral, applied device, worn device, remote, radio, communicationunit, scheduler, private, public, shared, residential, business, andoffice (block 1319).

Additional possible features may include obtaining captured data on aportable device (block 1317), and obtaining captured data on theportable device having one or more of the following storagecapabilities: dedicated wireless link to remote storage, non-dedicatedwireless link to remote storage, wireless link to multiple remotestorage units, volatile memory, permanent memory, rewritable memory,internal memory, removable memory, backup memory, distributed memory,flash memory, and memory card (block 1318).

Further aspects may include obtaining captured data on a device owned orcontrolled by a third party, wherein the storage media at the storagelocation is also owned or controlled by the same third party (block1316).

The high level flow chart of FIG. 42 shows an exemplary embodiment 1325for a computer program product having one or more computer programs forexecuting a process (block 1326). An exemplary process may includetransferring captured data having a given high quality resolution via acommunication link from a capturing device to a separate storagelocation for future availability (block 1327).

Additional process features may include implementing a storage protocolfor keeping a saved version of selected captured data at the separatestorage location, which storage protocol includes different organizationcategories (block 1328). A further process feature may includemaintaining an identifier record to enable future accessibility to theselected captured data by an authorized party or by a designated device(block 1329). The exemplary computer program product may include storagemedia or communication media for encoding the process instructions(block 1331).

The schematic block diagram of FIG. 43 illustrates various features ofexemplary embodiments including separate storage location 1335, originalsource capture device 1340, intermediate source capture device 1345, andcapture & access device 1350. A system implementation may includevarious combinations of features shown in FIG. 43. For example, originalsource capture device 1340 associated with user 1341 may have capabilityfor transferring selected captured data via communication link 1342 toseparate storage location 1335. A wireless communication link 1343 mayalso be used for such transfer to separate storage location 1335.

The intermediate source capture device 1345 associated with user 1346 isshown receiving data inputs 1347, 1348 and may have capability fortransferring selected captured data via communication link 1349 toseparate storage location 1335. The hybrid capture/access device 1350associated with one or more users 1351 may have capability for bothtransferring selected captured data to separate storage location 1335 aswell as accessing saved versions of the selected captured data availableat the separate storage location (see bidirectional communication link1352).

In some instances a designated device may be approved for implementing atransfer and/or access to the separate storage location 1335. In otherinstances an authorized party (e.g., user associated with the capturedevice or with access device, authorized third party, etc.) may beauthorized for implementing a transfer and/or access from many types ofdesignated devices to the separate storage location 1335.

The schematic diagram of FIG. 43 shows exemplary system embodimentcomponents that may include access device 1355, approved access device1360, approved automated access device 1365, and approved access device1370.

Possible aspects may include an authorized party 1356 associated withaccess device 1355 having a communication link 1357 via cable toseparate storage location 1335. Another possible aspect may include athird party 1361 associated with approved access device 1360 having acommunication link 1362 via dial-up line to separate storage location1335. A further possible aspect may include the approved automatedaccess device 1365 having a wireless communication link 1366 to separatestorage location 1335.

Another possible aspect may include multiple entities such as authorizedparty 1371, authorized party 1372, and third party 1373 associated withapproved access device 1370 having a communication link 1374 (e.g.,radio signal, television signal, etc.) via satellite 1375 to separatestorage location 1335.

Referring to the schematic block diagram of FIG. 44, various exemplaryembodiment features related to separate storage location 1380 mayinclude a separate storage interface 1382 that has possiblecommunication links with capture device 1384, capture & access device1385, access device 1386, authorized party 1387 and third party 1388. Insome implementations a data recipient 1389 may be connected via adistribution link to the separate storage interface 1382.

An exemplary data storage module 1390 may include one or more saved dataversions 1392, non-altered data components 1393, modified datacomponents 1394, transformed data 1396, and regenerated data 1397. Anillustrated possible feature may include centralized storage media 1400,and in some instances active data storage files 1402 and archived datastorage files 1404. Further aspects in some implementations may includedistributed storage media 1406 and removable storage media 1408.

Processing of data may be accomplished by an exemplary computerizedstorage system 1410 incorporated as an integral part of the separatestorage location 1380 or remotely linked to the separate storagelocation 1380. The computerized storage system 1410 may includeprocessor 1412, controller 1414, one or more applications 1416, andmemory 1418.

Additional types of storage-related modules may include identifierrecords 1420, storage protocol 1422, storage organization categories1424, storage management algorithm 1426, and storage management tasks1428.

Referring to the schematic block diagram of FIG. 45, exemplaryembodiment features incorporated in a capture device 1430 include userinterface 1432 for authorized users 1434, 1436 as well as for authorizedparty 1438. In some instances such user interface 1432 may also beavailable to an owner or operator of a separate storage location 1440that is linked (see 1446) to the capture device 1430.

Other communication links to the capture device 1430 may include aninput channel for original captured data 1442, and another input channelfor transmitted captured data 1444.

It will be understood that various functional aspects may beincorporated with the capture device and/or with the separate storagelocation. Accordingly the illustrated embodiment features of FIG. 45 mayinclude previously described identifier records 1420, storage protocol1422, storage organization categories 1424, storage management algorithm1426, and storage management tasks 1428.

A computer apparatus 1450 incorporated in the capture device 1430, or insome instances remotely linked to the capture device 1430, may includeprocessor 1452, controller 1454, one or more applications 1456, andmemory 1458. Additional aspects operably coupled with the capture device1430 may include integrated storage media 1460, temporary storage 1466,distributed storage media 1462, and removable storage media 1464.

Further types of data storage files may include actual captured data1467, modified captured data 1468, one or more data exemplars 1472, oneor more data samples 1474, and in some instances various transformeddata excerpts 1476. Depending on the circumstances additional aspectsmay include data selection rules 1478, and a data selection program 1479to process the captured data and facilitate a determination of whichcaptured data will be immediately or ultimately transferred to theseparate storage location.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the variouscomponents and elements disclosed in the block diagrams herein as wellas the various steps and sub-steps disclosed in the flow charts hereinmay be incorporated together in different claimed combinations in orderto enhance possible benefits and advantages.

The exemplary system, apparatus, and computer program productembodiments disclosed herein including FIGS. 1-4C and FIG. 10 and FIGS.20A-23 and FIG. 30 and FIGS. 43-45 along with other components, devices,know-how, skill and techniques that are known in the art have thecapability of implementing and practicing the methods and processesshown in FIGS. 5-9 and FIGS. 11-19 and FIGS. 24-29 and FIGS. 31-42. Itis to be understood that the methods and processes can be incorporatedin one or more different types of computer program products with acarrier medium having program instructions encoded thereon. However itis to be further understood by those skilled in the art that othersystems, apparatus and technology may be used to implement and practicesuch methods and processes.

Those skilled in the art will also recognize that the various aspects ofthe embodiments for methods, processes, apparatus and systems asdescribed herein can be implemented, individually and/or collectively,by a wide range of hardware, software, firmware, or any combinationthereof.

It will be understood that variations may be incorporated in themethods, systems and program products disclosed herein for determiningwhat data to transfer to the separate storage location, and what data tobe retained by the capture device. Some predetermined guidelines orreal-time decisions may be employed to determine how and whether toorganize and reorganize the transferred data as well as how and whetherto organize and reorganize the retained data. Possible factors mayinclude rule guidelines, user input, context at the capture (e.g.,transferring) device and/or at the separate storage location. Othertypes of factors may include space, bandwidth, device capabilities,accessibility of remote storage, cost task, preferences, etc.

It will be further understood that a possible return transfer (e.g.,retrieval, etc.) from the separate storage location back to the capturedevice or other designated device (e.g., another device being used by anauthorized user or other authorized third party) may depend on variousfactors such as freed-up or added device storage, bandwidthopportunities, tasks, context, etc.

Various computer program product embodiments and process components mayinclude allowing accessibility to the selected captured data by anauthorized party, as well as accessibility to the selected captured databy a designated device. Other possible features may include storagemedia or communication media for encoding process instructions.

It will be understood from the illustrative examples herein that atechnique as disclosed herein processes captured data on a device,wherein selected captured data of a given quality resolution istransferred via a communication link to a separate storage location forfuture availability. A storage protocol may include different storageorganization categories. A possible aspect includes an identifier recordto enable future accessibility to selected captured data by one or moreauthorized parties or approved devices.

Those having skill in the art will recognize that the state of the arthas progressed to the point where there is little distinction leftbetween hardware and software implementations of aspects of systems; theuse of hardware or software is generally (but not always, in that incertain contexts the choice between hardware and software can becomesignificant) a design choice representing cost versus efficiencytradeoffs. Those having skill in the art will appreciate that there arevarious vehicles by which processes and/or systems and/or othertechnologies described herein can be effected (e.g., hardware, software,and/or firmware), and that the preferred vehicle may vary with thecontext in which the processes and/or systems and/or other technologiesare deployed. For example, if an implementer determines that speed andaccuracy are paramount, the implementer may opt for a mainly hardwareand/or firmware vehicle; alternatively, if flexibility is paramount, theimplementer may opt for a mainly software implementation; or, yet againalternatively, the implementer may opt for some combination of hardware,software, and/or firmware. Hence, there are several possible vehicles bywhich the processes and/or devices and/or other technologies describedherein may be effected, none of which is inherently superior to theother in that any vehicle to be utilized is a choice dependent upon thecontext in which the vehicle may be deployed and the specific concerns(e.g., speed, flexibility, or predictability) of the implementer, any ofwhich may vary. Those skilled in the art will recognize that opticalaspects of implementations will require optically-oriented hardware,software, and or firmware.

The foregoing detailed description has set forth various embodiments ofthe devices and/or processes via the use of block diagrams, flowdiagrams, operation diagrams, flowcharts, illustrations, and/orexamples. Insofar as such block diagrams, operation diagrams,flowcharts, illustrations, and/or examples contain one or more functionsand/or operations, it will be understood by those within the art thateach function and/or operation within such block diagrams, operationdiagrams, flowcharts, illustrations, or examples can be implemented,individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software,firmware, or virtually any combination thereof. In one embodiment,several portions of the subject matter described herein may beimplemented via Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), FieldProgrammable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), orother integrated formats. However, those skilled in the art willrecognize that some aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein, inwhole or in part, can be equivalently implemented in standard integratedcircuits, as one or more computer programs running on one or morecomputers (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more computersystems), as one or more programs running on one or more processors(e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more microprocessors),as firmware, or as virtually any combination thereof, and that designingthe circuitry and/or writing the code for the software and or firmwarewould be well within the skill of one of skill in the art in light ofthis disclosure. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciatethat the mechanisms of the subject matter described herein are capableof being distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, andthat an illustrative embodiment of the subject matter described hereinapplies equally regardless of the particular type of signal bearingmedia used to actually carry out the distribution. Examples of a signalbearing media include, but are not limited to, the following: recordabletype media such as floppy disks, hard disk drives, CD ROMs, digitaltape, and computer memory; and transmission type media such as digitaland analog communication links using TDM or IP based communication links(e.g., packet links).

It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, termsused herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of theappended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term“including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” theterm “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term“includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,”etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if aspecific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such anintent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence ofsuch recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid tounderstanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of theintroductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claimrecitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed toimply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinitearticles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing suchintroduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one suchrecitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases“one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or“an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “atleast one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use ofdefinite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, evenif a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitlyrecited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitationshould typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number(e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without othermodifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or morerecitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a conventionanalogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in generalsuch a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the artwould understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one ofA, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have Aalone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and Ctogether, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where aconvention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, ingeneral such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill inthe art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at leastone of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that haveA alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and Ctogether, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.).

The herein described aspects depict different components containedwithin, or connected with, different other components. It is to beunderstood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary, andthat in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achievethe same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement ofcomponents to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated”such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any twocomponents herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can beseen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionalityis achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components.Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being“operably connected,” or “operably coupled,” to each other to achievethe desired functionality. Any two components capable of being soassociated can also be viewed as being “operably couplable” to eachother to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples ofoperably couplable include but are not limited to physically mateableand/or physically interacting components and/or wirelessly interactableand/or wirelessly interacting components.

As a further definition of “open” terms in the present specification andclaims, it will be understood that usage of a language construction “Aor B” is generally interpreted as a non-exclusive “open term” meaning: Aalone, B alone, A and B together.

While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, otheraspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art.The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes ofillustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scopeand spirit being indicated by the following claims.

We claim:
 1. A method for data management comprising: obtaining captured data on a device, which captured data has a given high quality resolution, wherein the given high quality resolution includes a quality parameter; transferring some or all of the captured data via a communication link to a separate storage location for future availability, wherein a transferring device transfers to the separate storage location the some or all captured data when the quality parameter for the some or all captured data exceeds an output capability of the transferring device, wherein selected captured data is initially received at the separate storage location without a significant loss of the given quality resolution; including allowing an authorized user associated with the device to select an automatic transfer mode wherein the selected captured data is automatically transferred to the storage media at the separate storage location: (a) in accordance with a storage protocol for keeping a saved version of the selected captured data at the separate storage location, the storage protocol including processing the selected captured data to enable automatic allocation among different storage organization categories prior to the transferring of some or all of the captured data and enabling retrieval of the selected captured data back to the device or a designated device as a function of bandwidth on the communication link; and maintaining an identifier record to enable future accessibility to the selected captured data by one or more authorized parties or approved devices, wherein the different storage organization categories are at least partially based on a commercial value of the some or all captured data, and wherein the commercial value is at least partially associated with time value of the some or all captured data, and wherein the time value is within a preselected time window.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said maintaining the identifier record includes: providing the identifier record generated by the device.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said maintaining the identifier record includes: providing the identifier record generated at the separate storage location.
 4. The method of claim 1 further comprising: providing the future accessibility via a communication link with an approved device.
 5. The method of claim 1 further comprising: providing the future accessibility via a communication link with an authorized party.
 6. The method of claim 1 further comprising: providing restricted accessibility to the saved version of the selected captured data based on a fee schedule.
 7. The method of claim 6 wherein said providing restricted accessibility includes: providing a fee schedule that includes at least a fee allocation paid to an entity responsible for the separate storage location.
 8. The method of claim 1 further comprising: providing the storage protocol that allows access to the saved version of the selected captured data by an authorized third party.
 9. The method of claim 1 further comprising: providing a fee schedule that includes at least a fee allocation paid by or on behalf of an authorized user associated with the device or an authorized third party.
 10. The method of claim 1 further comprising: approving a storage format for the saved version of the selected captured data based on accessibility to substantially non-altered data components.
 11. The method of claim 1 further comprising: approving a storage format for the saved version of the selected captured data based on accessibility to regenerated or transformed data components.
 12. The method of claim 1 wherein said maintaining an identifier record includes: providing an exemplar or abbreviation or indicia that includes one or more of the following: symbol, code, name, title, icon, date, excerpt, characteristic, form, alternate format, listing, reorganization, aggregation, summary, reduction, representation, sample, thumbnail, image, preview, group specimen, and sub-group element.
 13. The method of claim 12 further comprising: providing an exemplar or abbreviation or indicia that is recognizable by the authorized party or by the approved device.
 14. The method of claim 1 wherein said transferring some or all of the captured data includes: implementing a transfer via a wireless link to the separate storage location.
 15. The method of claim 1 wherein said transferring some or all of the captured data includes: implementing a transfer based on one or more of the following criteria: rule, user input, user state, configuration, commercial, personal, context, space, device memory, device capability, bandwidth, separate storage memory, separate storage capability, separate storage accessibility, cost, task, preference, storage protocol, security, privacy, affiliation, and membership.
 16. The method of claim 1 wherein said transferring some or all of the captured data includes: implementing a transfer to one or more of the following types of storage schemes: backup, archive, removable, rewritable, permanent, server, base station, network storage, web site, central, integrated; distributed, dispersed, fragmented, non-altered, transformed, encoded, bitmap, compression, volatile, replicated, third party, storefront, mobile, vehicle, residence, office, shared, proprietary, and rights-managed.
 17. The method of claim 1 further comprising: providing three or more of the following types of storage organization guidelines to facilitate future accessibility: original high resolution, permanent high resolution, temporary high resolution, lower resolution, temporary lower resolution, permanent lower resolution, deleted high resolution, deleted lower resolution, deleted content, included content, excluded content, subject matter, event, author, creator, participant, redundancy, repetition, quality, size, resolution, fidelity, tagged, preview, sample, group, sub-group, composite group, individual, personage, entity, item, content, composition, summary, augmentation, attribute, content category, frequency, and inventory.
 18. The method of claim 1 further comprising: processing the selected captured data to accomplish an allocation of the selected captured data among the one or more storage organization categories, which allocation is established automatically by the device prior to the transferring to the separate storage location.
 19. The method of claim 1 further comprising: processing the selected captured data to accomplish an allocation of the selected captured data among the one or more storage organization categories, which allocation is determined by an authorized user associated with the device prior to the transferring to the separate storage location.
 20. The method of claim 1 further comprising: processing the selected captured data to accomplish an allocation of the selected captured data among one or more storage organization categories, which allocation is determined by the authorized user associated with the device after the selected captured data is received at the storage location.
 21. The method of claim 1 wherein said maintaining the identifier record includes: providing one or more of the following types of identifier records to facilitate accessibility from the authorized party or from the approved device to the saved version of the selected captured data: exemplar, abbreviation, indicia, symbol, code, name, title, icon, date, excerpt, characteristic, form, alternate format, listing, reorganization, aggregation, summary, reduction, representation, sample, thumbnail, image, preview, group specimen, sub-group element, unique, non-unique, arbitrary, global, semantic, public, private, and encoded.
 22. The method of claim 1 wherein said maintaining the identifier record includes: providing one or more of the following types of identifier records to facilitate accessibility by the authorized party or by the approved device to the saved version of the selected captured data: exemplar, abbreviation, indicia, symbol, code, name, title, icon, date, excerpt, characteristic, form, alternate format, listing, reorganization, aggregation, summary, reduction, representation, sample, thumbnail, image, preview, group specimen, sub-group element, unique, non-unique, arbitrary, global, semantic, public, private, and encoded.
 23. The method of claim 1 further comprising: enabling an approved device or an authorized party to locate the saved version of the selected captured data by reference to the identifier record.
 24. The method of claim 1 wherein said maintaining the identifier record includes: maintaining the identifier record that enables an authorized user associated with the device or an authorized third party to use a different device to obtain future accessibility to the saved version of the selected captured data.
 25. The method of claim 1 wherein said obtaining captured data on the device includes: obtaining one or more of the following types of captured data: text, image, graphics, voice, music, sound, audio, video, audio/visual, monochrome, color, data log, measurement, instruction, biomedical, financial, sensor, environmental, personal, public, transactional, shopping, commercial, security, automotive, device-diagnostic, game, and virtual world.
 26. The method of claim 1 wherein said obtaining captured data includes: obtaining one or more of the following types of captured data: still image, image stream, and combination of still image and image stream.
 27. The method of claim 1 wherein said obtaining captured data includes: obtaining one or more of the following types of captured data: real-time, time-delayed, original, copied, scanned, faxed, sensed, detected, derived, computed, modified, composite, enhanced, reduced, filtered, edited, condensed, compressed, compiled, retransmitted, forwarded, stored, cached, prefetched, processed, raw, live, hatched, and uploaded.
 28. The method of claim 1 further comprising: enabling an authorized user associated with the device to make the selection of the captured data to be saved on storage media at the storage location based at least in part on making the captured data available to the authorized user associated with the device prior to the transferring.
 29. The method of claim 28 wherein said making the captured data available prior to the transferring includes: employing one or more of the following features for making the captured data available to an authorized user associated with the device: printout, screen display, viewfinder display, display monitor, thumbnail display, removable memory, device memory, audio, tactile, alert, notification, transmittal to other device, and instructional.
 30. The method of claim 1 further comprising: making a selection of the captured data to be saved on storage media at the storage location based at least in part on a set of rules configured by an authorized user associated with the device.
 31. The method of claim 1 wherein said transferring some or all of the captured data via the communication link includes: allowing the authorized user associated with the device to select the automatic transfer mode wherein the selected captured data is automatically transferred to the storage media at the separate storage location by implementing the automatic transfer mode based on inadequate memory associated with the device.
 32. The method of claim 31 further comprising: allowing an authorized user associated with the device to make a determination or modification of an applicable storage organization category after the selected captured data has been transferred from the device.
 33. The method of claim 1 wherein said transferring some or all of the captured data via the communication link includes: operating the device in a delayed transfer mode wherein the selected captured data is temporarily stored on memory associated with the device prior to the transferring to the separate storage location.
 34. The method of claim 33 further comprising: providing authorized user accessibility to the selected captured data temporarily stored on the memory associated with the device.
 35. The method of claim 34 wherein said providing user accessibility includes: providing authorized user accessibility to one or more representative samples of the selected captured data temporarily stored on the memory associated with the device.
 36. The method of claim 1 wherein said maintaining the identifier record includes: allowing one or more excerpt or transformation of the selected captured data to be retained for future reference on memory associated with the device.
 37. The method of claim 36 further comprising: providing one or more of the following types of annotation information associated with the excerpt or transformation of the selected captured data: date, topic, event, device user, wireless storage destination, applicable storage protocol, organization category, resolution quality, scheduled deletion, scheduled quality downgrade, and fee schedule.
 38. The method of claim 1 wherein said transferring some or all of the captured data includes: making a transfer of the selected captured data to storage media owned or controlled by an authorized user associated with the device.
 39. The method of claim 1 wherein said transferring some or all of the captured data includes: making a transfer of the selected captured data to a storage media owned or controlled by a third party.
 40. The method of claim 1 wherein selected captured data is initially received at the separate storage location as data.
 41. The method of claim 1 wherein selected captured data is initially received at the separate storage location, wherein the separate storage location is a computer readable storage device on a network device.
 42. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected captured data is automatically transferred to the storage media at the separate storage location includes at least saving the captured data on storage media at the separate storage location based at least on a set of rule configured by an owner or operator of the separate storage location.
 43. The method of claim 1 wherein the commercial value is at least partially associated with a color value of the some or all captured data.
 44. A system for captured data storage management comprising: a data capture device wherein captured data has a given high quality resolution, wherein the given high quality resolution includes a quality parameter; a communication link for transferring some or all of the captured data to a separate storage location for future availability, wherein a transferring device transfers to the separate storage location the some or all captured data when the quality parameter for the some or all captured data exceeds an output capability of the transferring device, wherein selected captured data that is initially received at the separate storage location has a given high quality resolution in accordance with a storage protocol for keeping a saved version of the selected captured data at the storage location, the storage protocol including processing the selected captured data to enable automatic allocation among different storage organization categories prior to the transferring of some or all of the captured data and enabling retrieval of the selected captured data back to the device or a designated device as a function of bandwidth on the communication link; and an identifier record maintained at the capture device and/or at the separate storage location to enable future accessibility to the selected captured data by one or more authorized parties or approved devices, wherein the different storage organization categories are at least partially based on a commercial value of the some or all captured data, and wherein the commercial value is at least partially associated with time value of the some or all captured data, and wherein the time value is within a preselected time window.
 45. The system of claim 44 wherein said data capture device includes: a portable device.
 46. The system of claim 44 wherein said data capture device includes: a capture device having one or more of the following storage capabilities: dedicated wireless link to remote storage, non-dedicated wireless link to remote storage, wireless link to multiple remote storage units, volatile memory, permanent memory, rewritable memory, internal memory, removable memory, backup memory, distributed memory, flash memory, and memory card.
 47. The system of claim 44 wherein said data capture device includes: a device owned or controlled by a third party, wherein the separate storage location is also owned or controlled by the same third party.
 48. The system of claim 44 wherein said data capture device includes: one or more of the following type of devices: still camera, audio recorder, digital audio recorder, audio-visual recorder, video recorder, digital video recorder, video camera, video/still camera, data recorder, telephone, cell phone, transceiver, PDA, computer, server, printer, fax, multi-function device, scanner, copier, surveillance camera, data sensor, mote, distributed imaging element, ingested sensor; medical sensor, medical imaging, health-monitoring device, traffic management device, media library, media player, vehicle sensor, vehicular device, environmental sensor, implanted device, mobile unit, fixed unit, integral, applied device, worn device, remote, radio, communication unit, scheduler, private, public, shared, residential, business, and office.
 49. The system of claim 44 wherein said identifier record includes: an identifier record maintained at the capture device to facilitate usage or retrieval or distribution or replication or modification or reorganization of the saved version of the selected captured data.
 50. The system of claim 44 wherein said identifier record includes: an identifier record maintained at the separate storage location to facilitate usage or retrieval or distribution or replication or modification or reorganization of the saved version of the selected captured data.
 51. The system of claim 44 wherein said identifier record includes: an exemplar or abbreviation or indicia that is recognizable by the authorized party or the approved device.
 52. The system of claim 51 wherein said exemplar or abbreviation or indicia includes three or more of the following: symbol, code, name, title, icon, date, excerpt, characteristic, form, alternate format, listing, reorganization, aggregation, summary, reduction, representation, sample, thumbnail, image, preview, group specimen, and subgroup element.
 53. The system of claim 44 wherein said identifier record includes: an identifier record maintained at the capture device, which identifier record includes one or more excerpt or transformation of the selected captured data retained for future reference on memory associated with the capture device.
 54. The system of claim 53 wherein said identifier record includes: one or more of the following types of annotation information associated with the excerpt or transformation of the selected captured data: date, topic, event, device user, wireless storage destination, applicable storage protocol, organization category, resolution quality, scheduled deletion, scheduled quality downgrade, and fee schedule.
 55. A computer program product having one or more computer programs for executing a process, the process including: transferring captured data having a given high quality resolution via a communication link from a capturing device to a separate storage location for future availability, wherein the given high quality resolution includes a quality parameter, wherein a transferring device transfers to the separate storage location the captured data when the quality parameter for the captured data exceeds an output capability of the transferring device, wherein the captured data initially received at the separate storage location maintains at least the given high quality resolution; wherein the separate storage location is located on a separate device; implementing a storage protocol for keeping a saved version of selected captured data at the separate storage location, the storage protocol including processing the selected captured data to enable automatic allocation among different storage organization categories prior to the transferring of some or all of the captured data and enabling retrieval of the selected captured data back to the device or a designated device as a function of bandwidth on the communication link; and maintaining an identifier record to enable future accessibility to the selected captured data pursuant to the storage protocol, wherein the different storage organization categories are at least partially based on a commercial value of the some or all captured data, and wherein the commercial value is at least partially associated with time value of the some or all captured data, and wherein the time value is within a preselected time window.
 56. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein said one or more instructions for implementing the storage protocol for keeping a saved version of the selected captured data includes: one or more instructions providing the different storage organization categories based at least in part on one or more of the following type of parameters: temporal, available device memory, available storage location memory, user selected, device limitation, storage location requirement, and recipient choice.
 57. The computer program product of claim 55, wherein signal-bearing medium includes: one or more instructions for establishing the storage protocol that includes different organization categories based at least in part on one or more of the following parameters: creator, participant, originator, source, owner, proprietary, public domain, goal, subject matter, event, established policy, selected policy, custom policy, redundancy, variety, resolution, reproduction, replication, captured quality, device quality, captured fidelity, device fidelity, commercial value, personal value, expected future use, recipient, required access frequency, expected access frequency, potential distribution, taxonomy, common theme tag, classification, device capability, device attribute, device parameter, storage capability storage attribute, storage parameter, device setting, user task, device context, user context device history, and user history.
 58. The computer program product of claim 55 further comprising: one or more instructions for allowing accessibility to the selected captured data by an authorized party.
 59. The computer program product of claim 55 further comprising: one or more instructions for allowing accessibility to the selected captured data by a designated device.
 60. The computer program product of claim 55 further comprising: storage media or communication media for encoding process instructions.
 61. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining captured data on a device includes: obtaining captured data on a device, the device including at least a game console, a digital camera, a cell phone, a printer, a refrigerator, an airplane, or a car.
 62. The method of claim 1 wherein transferring some or all of the captured data via a communication link to a separate storage location for future availability comprises: transferring some or all of the captured data via a communication link to a separate storage location on a device owned or controlled by a third party.
 63. The method of claim 1 wherein transferring some or all of the captured data via a communication link to a separate storage location for future availability comprises: transferring some or all of the captured data via a communication link to a separate storage location on a device having one or more rules configured by at least one of an owner or operator of the device. 